Smaller Social Networks Research Articles

Social embeddedness and organisational justice in a UK police force

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe police officers’ workplace social networks and to examine how police officers’ social ties, in combination with organisational climate, affect their attitudes towards and willingness to report misconduct.Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from a vignette survey of 86 response police officers in an English county police force. Officers’ attitudes towards misconduct and likelihood of reporting were analysed using multivariable regression models.Findings Descriptively, most officers have a small social network within the force, and police comprise about one-third of their total social networks. Officers were generally highly disapproving of misconduct and expressed they would challenge their peers in most scenarios, though reporting misconduct was somewhat less likely. Perceived peer disapproval of misconduct is a strong predictor of officers’ disapproval of misconduct and expressed likelihood of reporting misconduct. Organisational justice and social embeddedness were not usually associated with the challenging and reporting of misconduct.Originality/value This study is one of only a handful to report information on police officers’ friendship networks in the workplace, and these results show that peer influence remains an important vector for police management to use in promoting prosocial police culture and preventing misconduct.

Modifiable dementia risk factors associated with objective and subjective cognition.

Early detection of both objective and subjective cognitive impairment is important. Subjective complaints in healthy individuals can precede objective deficits. However, the differential associations of objective and subjective cognition with modifiable dementia risk factors are unclear. We gathered a large cross-sectional sample (N=3327, age 18 to 84) via a smartphone app and quantified the associations of 13 risk factors with subjective memory problems and three objective measures of executive function (visual working memory, cognitive flexibility, model-based planning). Depression, socioeconomic status, hearing handicap, loneliness, education, smoking, tinnitus, little exercise, small social network, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension were all associated with impairments in at least one cognitive measure. Subjective memory had the strongest link to most factors; these associations persisted after controlling for depression. Age mostly did not moderate these associations. Subjective cognition was more sensitive to self-report risk factors than objective cognition. Smartphones could facilitate detecting the earliest cognitive impairments. Smartphone assessments of cognition were sensitive to dementia risk factors. Subjective cognition had stronger links to most factors than did objective cognition. These associations were not fully explained by depression. These associations were largely consistent across the lifespan.

Scarce perinatal social support for women with OUD: Opportunities for doula services

ProblemPersons with opioid use disorder (OUD) often lack social support, which is associated with improved recovery outcomes. BackgroundIn the last two decades, the rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant people has quadrupled. QuestionThis study aimed to describe the prenatal and postpartum social support networks and needs of persons with OUD and assess perceived acceptability of community-based social supports such as doulas. MethodsThis mixed methods study utilized quantitative and qualitative data to understand social support structures and needs. Data was collected through surveys –demographics and social mapping; Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) tool; Connor Davidson Resilience 25-item (CDRS-25) scale– and a semi-structured interview. A total of 34 participants from a single urban opioid treatment program consented to participate. FindingsParticipants were on average 34.9 years old, White (64.7%), and unemployed (91.2%). Participants described small perinatal social support networks, which decreased in size from the prenatal to postpartum period. Only half (52.9%) reported adequate prenatal and postpartum social support. Doulas and peer recovery support specialists were perceived as valuable in perinatal health, social support, and recovery domains, with interest in doulas seen particularly amongst those with fewer reported supports. Discussion: The scarcity of prenatal and postpartum social support among persons with OUD is critical to address, given the increased risk of relapse during the postpartum period which has implications for the maternal child dyad. Conclusion: Due to multiple disparities in prenatal and postpartum social support (small networks, inadequate support), doulas represent a trusted community-based support to be integrated into healthcare teams to address maternal morbidity/mortality associated with opioid use.

Draw to a close: inventor triad dynamics and invention quality

ABSTRACT Instead of comparing open and closed triads as static phenomena, this study examines how closure dynamics among inventors impact the extent to which inventors generate high-quality inventions at the triad level. Combining literature on small group synergy, social networks, and recombinant innovation, we propose that initial open triads of collaborating inventors that turn into a closed triad generate higher quality inventions than triads that maintain open. We also examine how the connectedness of the triad moderates the relationship between triad closure and the generation of triadic high-quality inventions. Using a matched sample of open and closed triads from 1987 to 2008, we find that over time, open triads that turn into closed ones generate higher-quality inventions than triads that remain open. Moreover, the triad’s degree of connectedness weakens the triadic closure’s positive impact on inventive performance. We discuss the implications for the study of innovation, network triads, and collective synergy.

Social networks and posttraumatic stress symptoms five to ten years after the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster

Since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, multiple social network disruptions have been reported among the community in Fukushima, while posttraumatic stress symptoms among the residents have persisted. In this study, we aimed to explore the influence of time and social networks on the recovery of posttraumatic stress symptoms based on longitudinal data from community residents in Fukushima, following up five to ten years after the nuclear power plant accident. We conducted five questionnaire surveys quasi-annually, the targets of which were randomly sampled 4900 non-evacuee community residents. In this study, the data of 1809 respondents who participated in at least one survey were used (36.9% of the initial target). Setting posttraumatic stress symptoms as the outcome, we examined the interaction between time and social network size using a mixed model, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and disaster-related events. Their interaction was statistically significant, and the posttraumatic stress symptoms of those with small social networks persisted, while those with larger social networks recovered. Maintaining and promoting social networks may contribute to mental health recovery after a nuclear disaster.

Socialist imprints and innovation strategies in a transition economy

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to research at the intersection of institutional theory and the emerging literature on institutional imprinting by studying how the persistence and decay of founding institutional imprints affect network-based innovation strategies in small firms during later stages of economic transition. In do so, we are able to investigate both the extent of imprints and the boundary conditions that serve to strengthen or weaken their persistence. We situate our study in a fast-growing but under-studied transition economy, Vietnam, applying multiple estimation methods on a multilevel panel sample of 2644 small entrepreneurs over 6 years. Our major findings are, firstly, that firms launched before transition are influenced by socialist imprints and rely more on small and concentrated informal social networks, while firms launched after transition rely more on newer formal market institutions to generate innovations, and, secondly, that management and industry experience strengthens network-based innovation strategies and, thus, amplifies the persistence of socialist imprinting in firms established prior to transition.

Risk Factors for Elder Mistreatment Among Older Korean Americans.

Using data from a sample of older Korean Americans (n = 2,150), we examined the prevalence and associated factors of physical, emotional, and financial mistreatment. Given the importance of contextual factors, we examined the effect of immigration-related (years in the U.S. and acculturation) and interpersonal/community-related (family solidarity, social network, and ethnic community social cohesion) factors in addition to sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. The rate of experiencing physical, emotional, and financial mistreatment during the past year was 3%, 37.9%, and 16.1%, respectively. Younger age and lower family solidarity were common risk factors for emotional and financial mistreatment. The experience of emotional mistreatment was also more likely among females and those with higher level of acculturation, smaller social networks, and lower ethnic community social cohesion. Chronic disease was an additional risk factor for financial mistreatment. The findings suggest targeted prevention and intervention strategies for elder mistreatment.

The role of housing stability in predicting social capital: Exploring social support and psychological integration as mediators for individuals with histories of homelessness and vulnerable housing.

Social capital is a collective asset important for individual and population well-being. Individuals who experience homelessness may face barriers in accessing social capital due to health challenges, small social networks, and social exclusion. Data from a 4-year longitudinal study was used to determine if housing stability predicted greater social capital and if this relationship was mediated by social support and psychological integration for a sample of 855 homeless and vulnerably housed participants living in three Canadian cities. Findings showed that housing stability was not associated with trust and linking social capital. However, higher levels of social support and psychological integration had a mediating effect on the association between housing stability and trust and linking social capital. These findings highlight the importance of social support and psychological integration as means of promoting social capital for people who experience homelessness and vulnerable housing. Social interventions for housed individuals with histories of homelessness may be an avenue to foster greater social capital by building relationships with neighbors and connections to community resources and activities.

"They Just Love Me"-An Examination of Social Support Experiences and Values Among People With TBI.

Social support is important for health and functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but many adults with TBI report inadequate social support. Little research has examined the social support priorities of adults with TBI or what an optimal social support network should include. The objective of this study was to describe the social support structures and experiences of adults with TBI. Community-based rehabilitation program. Community-dwelling adults with TBI, predominantly from racial and ethnic minority groups. Cross-sectional collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Number of close social contacts and total social contacts, along with a report of the frequency of social support using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Qualitative interviews were used to examine the quality of social support and participant values and priorities. Participants had an average of 4.3 close contacts (median 3.5, range 1-10), an average of 8.5 total social contacts (median 7, range 2-28), and a low frequency of social support (mean 28.4, SD=24.7). Interview themes fell under 2 grand themes: structure of social networks (social networks are made up of families; proximity influences the type of support) and quality of social support (commitment vs indifference; doing things with and for others adds meaning; and "they just love me"). Participants in this study had small social networks and a low frequency of social support. Findings suggest that people with TBI value committed support partners, social inclusion, bidirectional relationships, and emotional connection, yet experience lower support in these areas compared to tangible support. Future research should examine how to adapt existing models of social support to more closely align with participant values. Rehabilitation services may need to focus more heavily on individual and family training, addressing strategies to develop and maintain relationships, emotional connection, and communication to enhance relationship and social support quality.

“Life Wouldn't be as Full without the Shed”: New directions for men in retirement

AbstractMen's Sheds are grassroots organizations that began in Australia and have expanded to other parts of the world. They provide spaces for men to make new friends, participate in projects together or learn new skills. Men, as compared to women tend to have smaller social networks and less support in older adulthood, therefore navigating retirement and other age‐related adjustments may be more challenging without support resources. The purpose of this paper was to explore how Irish Men's Sheds helped men with the transition to retirement. Interviews with Men's Sheds members aged 65+ (N = 37) were completed in County Limerick, Ireland. Transcripts were analyzed thematically, and two themes were identified: (1) Filling the Void and a subtheme on Continuous Achievement, and (2) Intentional Preparation. Many of the men who were interviewed were unsure how to spend their time before joining the Men's Shed. After participating, they reported enjoying the connections with other men and having something useful to do. Some men specifically sought out a Men's Shed as they approached retirement after seeing their peers struggle with the adjustment. The men perceived Men's Sheds to be beneficial and saw them as a purposeful and productive outlet to engage in. Men without access to community organizations such as Men's Sheds may be at greater risk for loneliness and social isolation in older adulthood. Policies are needed to help prepare men for the psychological transition to retirement and to help organizations such as Men's Sheds remain financially viable.

Marital Quality and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Hispanic Adults in the United States.

Despite the cultural importance of marriage as a social support system and its well-established link to mental health, older Hispanic adult populations, which are the largest racial and ethnic minoritized groups, remain understudied. The current study examined how positive and negative dimensions of marital quality are associated with depressive symptoms. Data from Hispanic adults aged 51 years and older (n = 1,012) were obtained from the 2016 and 2018 Health and Retirement Study waves. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (0-8 symptoms) was modeled as a function of positive and negative marital quality measures (1-4), as well as the relevant covariates. Results from a negative binomial regression model showed that a 1-unit change in positive and negative marital quality was associated with a 23.61% reduction and a 23.74% increase, respectively, in depressive symptoms. The interaction terms with marital quality and gender, as well as marital quality and religion, were not statistically significant. In the United States, a large percentage of older Hispanic adults are immigrants, and their extended family tends to reside in their countries of origin. As such, older Hispanic adults may have smaller social networks, and marital quality most likely represents a culturally important social support network in later life. Significant associations between depressive symptoms and marital quality among older Hispanic adults should receive more attention in family and public health policy discussions, particularly given the increasing diversity in U.S. society.

Modelling the creation of friends and foes groups in small real social networks.

Although friendship networks have been extensively studied, few models and studies are available to understand the reciprocity of friendship and foes. Here a model is presented to explain the directed friendship and foes network formation observed in experiments of Mexican and Hungarian schools. Within the presented model, each agent has a private opinion and a public one that shares to the group. There are two kinds of interactions between agents. The first kind represent interactions with the neighbors while the other represents the attitude of an agent to the overall public available information. Links between agents evolve as a combination of the public and private information available. Friendship is defined using a fitness function according to the strength of the agent's bonds, clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality and degree. Enmity is defined as very negative links. The model allows us to reproduce the distribution of mentions for friends and foes observed in the experiments, as well as the topology of the directed networks.

HIV, Social Networks, and Loneliness among Older Adults in Uganda.

Loneliness among older adults has been identified as a major public health problem. Yet little is known about loneliness, or the potential role of social networks in explaining loneliness, among older people with HIV (PWH) in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of PWH reside. To explore this issue, we analyzed data from 599 participants enrolled in the Quality of Life and Ageing with HIV in Rural Uganda study, including older adults with HIV in ambulatory care and a comparator group of people without HIV of similar age and gender. The 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness, and HIV status was the primary explanatory variable. The study found no statistically significant correlation between loneliness and HIV status. However, individuals with HIV had smaller households, less physical and financial support, and were less socially integrated compared to those without HIV. In multivariable logistic regressions, loneliness was more likely among individuals who lived alone (aOR:3.38, 95% CI:1.47-7.76) and less likely among those who were married (aOR:0.34, 95% CI:0.22-0.53) and had a higher level of social integration (aOR:0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.92). Despite having smaller social networks and less support, older adults with HIV had similar levels of loneliness as those without HIV, which may be attributed to resiliency and access to HIV-related health services among individuals with HIV. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to better understand the mechanisms involved.

A game approach to multi-dimensional opinion dynamics in social networks with stubborn strategist agents

In a social network, individuals express their opinions on several interdependent topics, and therefore the evolution of their opinions on these topics is also mutually dependent. In this work, we propose a differential game model for the multi-dimensional opinion formation of a social network whose population of agents interacts according to a communication graph. Each individual’s opinion evolves according to an aggregation of disagreements between the agent’s opinions and its graph neighbors on multiple interdependent topics exposed to an unknown extraneous disturbance. For a social network with strategist agents, the opinions evolve over time with respect to the minimization of a quadratic cost function that solely represents each individual’s motives against the disturbance. We find the unique Nash/worst-case equilibrium solution for the proposed differential game model of coupled multi-dimensional opinions under an open-loop information structure. Moreover, we propose a distributed implementation of the Nash/worst-case equilibrium solution. We examine the non-distributed and proposed distributed open-loop Nash/worst-case strategies on a small social network with strategist agents in a two-dimensional opinion space. Then we compare the evolved opinions based on the Nash/worst-case strategy with the opinions corresponding to social optimality actions for non-strategist agents.

Differential deficits in social versus monetary reinforcement learning in schizophrenia: Associations with facial emotion recognition.

Despite evidence that individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) have an intact desire for social relationships, they have small social networks and report high levels of loneliness. Difficulty with reinforcement learning (RL), the ability to update behavior based on feedback, may inhibit the formation and maintenance of social relationships in SZ. However, impaired RL in SZ has largely been demonstrated via monetary tasks. Thus, it remains unclear whether SZ are similarly impaired in social and monetary RL, or whether social-specific factors may further inhibit their ability to learn from social feedback. Thirty-one individuals with SZ and 31 healthy controls (HCs) participated in a RL paradigm to test hypotheses about social versus monetary RL. SZ exhibited impaired RL compared to HCs in both social and monetary tasks. Further, a Group × Task interaction demonstrated that SZ was more impaired when learning from social than monetary reinforcement, F(1, 59) = 5.99, p = .017. This differential deficit to social RL was not accounted for by reported pleasure from social feedback, which did not differ between groups. Instead, SZ had poorer emotion recognition than HCs, t(1, 60) = 4.80, p < .001, particularly for negative emotions, and controlling for this eliminated the differential social RL impairment. These results suggest the possibility that difficulty recognizing social cues, especially those indicating negative feedback, may relate to a reduced ability to learn from others' feedback. Thus, future research could elucidate whether targeting these emotion recognition difficulties in treatment could serve as a potential mechanism for improving social functioning in SZ. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Socio-ecological factors linked with changes in adults' dietary intake in Los Angeles County during the peak of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.

Comprehensive studies examining longitudinal predictors of dietary change during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are lacking. Based on an ecological framework, this study used longitudinal data to test if individual, social and environmental factors predicted change in dietary intake during the peak of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic in Los Angeles County and examined interactions among the multilevel predictors. We analysed two survey waves (e.g. baseline and follow-up) of the Understanding America Study, administered online to the same participants 3 months apart. The surveys assessed dietary intake and individual, social, and neighbourhood factors potentially associated with diet. Lagged multilevel regression models were used to predict change from baseline to follow-up in daily servings of fruits, vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages. Data were collected in October 2020 and January 2021, during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Los Angeles County. 903 adults representative of Los Angeles County households. Individuals who had depression and less education or who identified as non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic reported unhealthy dietary changes over the study period. Individuals with smaller social networks, especially low-income individuals with smaller networks, also reported unhealthy dietary changes. After accounting for individual and social factors, neighbourhood factors were generally not associated with dietary change. Given poor diets are a leading cause of death in the USA, addressing ecological risk factors that put some segments of the community at risk for unhealthy dietary changes during a crisis should be a priority for health interventions and policy.

DETERMINANTS OF POSITIVE MARITAL QUALITY AMONG OLDER HISPANIC ADULTS IN THE US

Abstract Marital Quality can significantly influence a variety of health and well-being outcomes in later life. Yet, relatively little is known about how marital quality is determined across subpopulations given their cultural backgrounds. Social networks and familial relationships are culturally important to Hispanic adults over their life course. Also, the unique characteristics (e.g., high % of immigrants) of older Hispanic adults in the U.S. may make their determinants of marital quality different from others. Considering approximately one in three older Hispanic adults is an immigrant in the U.S., this subpopulation may have relatively small social networks as their family members live in their countries of origin. As such, sub-groups of married older Hispanic adults may depend more on their marital relationships for social and cultural support, compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Framed by socioemotional selectivity theory, this study aimed to investigate determinants of marital quality among older Hispanic adults (age 51 and older). Nationally representative samples of older Hispanic adults (n = 694) were derived from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Results from linear regression analysis indicated that women (b = -0.16, p &amp;lt; 0.05) reported lower positive marital quality than men. There was also a statistically significant negative association between depressive symptoms (b = -0.09, p &amp;lt; 0.05) and positive marital quality. This study further evaluated other marital quality determinants, gender differences, and possible sociocultural explanations.

Causal inference on strategies to increase conversational engagement for socially isolated older adults

AbstractBackgroundSocial isolation, characterized by a small social network and lack of contact, negatively impact the quality of life. Older adults are at an increased risk for social isolation, which is found to be a risk factor of cognitive decline and dementia. Enhancing social connectedness or interactions has been shown to be an effective intervention for slowing age‐associated cognitive decline and possibly delaying the onset of dementia. Here we aim to develop conversational chatbots which can provide engaging conversations with older adults with mild cognitive impairment (OAwMCI) to mitigate social isolation. To resemble human human interactions, chatbots have to adapt certain human strategies, such as empathy, during conversation.MethodOur study utilized causal structural learning and causal inference approaches to examine the dialogue strategy for engaging OAwMCI. We analyzed transcriptions from a clinical trial, I‐CONECT (ClinicalTrials.gov #: NCT02871921), which involved semi‐structured conversations between facilitators and participants. By using emotion recognition in conversation and dialogue act modeling, we produced a time series data of state (participant’s emotions and length of utterance per conversation turn), intervention (facilitator’s conversational strategies), and outcome (participant’s following emotions and engagement). A R package, pcalg, was used to identify causal relationships between the state, intervention, and outcome variables.ResultGraphical models implying causal relationships between certain factors were generated. Our analysis revealed that facilitators adjusted their dialogue strategies according to the participants' emotions and utterance. For example, facilitators expressed appreciation when a participant showed . Additionally, we found that the dialogue acts from facilitators influenced participants' emotions and engagement in the conversation. For instance, non‐opinion statements and yes/no questions from facilitators may affect participants’ verbal engagement and level of anger during the conversation.ConclusionFindings from this study are in line with real‐world human‐human conversation, and our next step is to explore how to use these findings to improve conversational chatbots. Future work shall also consider other crucial features into the state variable that might influence the dynamics of participants' status during the conversation, such as cognitive capacity and dialogue coherence. Our findings have the potential to inform the development of conversational tools and strategies to reduce social isolation among OAwMCI.

Social Networks and MRI measures of Brain Injury in Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations

AbstractBackgroundSocial networks may influence late‐life cognition directly via affecting brain structures or indirectly through enhancing cognitive resilience – i.e., the ability to maintain cognitive function in the presence of neurodegeneration. This study assesses the associations of social networks with markers of neurodegeneration, and determines whether social networks modify the associations between these markers and cognitive function.MethodWe pooled data from three harmonized cohorts of Kaiser Permanente Northern California members: the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE)study, the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR), and the LifeAfter90 (LA90) Study. Social network sizes were calculated by summing the number of living children, spouse, and close relatives and friends. Neuroimaging markers included total brain volume (TBV), hippocampal volume (HCV), and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMH). Volumetric measures were normalized using a residual approach, which regressed intracranial volume (ICV) on volumetric measures to predict the ICV‐adjusted volume. Executive function and verbal episodic memory were measured by the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales and were z‐standardized. Linear regression models estimated the associations between social network size and each neuroimaging marker, adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, education, cohort, and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). We included an interaction term between social networks and neuroimaging markers to evaluate whether the relationships between imaging markers and cognitive function differed by social networks.ResultThe pooled sample’s average age was 76 (SD 11) years (59% female; 47% Black) (Table 1). In the fully adjusted models, the mean differences in injury markers did not differ by social network size (Figure 1). However, the associations of HCV and WMH with executive function (βsocial network*WMH = 0.09, 95% CI 0.01,0.18; βsocial network*HCV = ‐0.08, 95% CI ‐0.15, ‐0.01) were stronger among participants with smaller social networks (Figure 2).ConclusionIn this cross‐sectional study of racially and ethnically diverse older adults, larger social networks attenuated the associations between neurodegeneration markers and executive function. These findings suggest that larger social networks may promote cognitive resilience.

Functional and Psychosocial Profile of Older People Living in Nursing Homes: Findings from the European Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

This paper is based on results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), exploring many aspects (health, economic situation and welfare) of the European population aged 50+. Differently from many other international studies, SHARE includes persons living in nursing homes or residential care facilities as part of its sample. The aim of this paper is to provide a socio-demographic, functional and psychosocial snapshot of older residents in nursing homes in Europe. This paper uses data from SHARE Wave 8/2020, carried out in 27 European countries. A quantitative/descriptive approach explores the prevalence of older people aged 65+ living in residential facilities as mapped by the SHARE survey across Europe, with regard to associated dimensions, i.e., socio-demographic, family relationship, perceived health/main diseases, functional and psychological status. These show that older residents live mainly in Central and Northern Europe, are aged 80+, female and widowed. A small social network (SN) size is often reported. Health is perceived, above all, as being fair-poor, and the presence of long-term illness is high, with several chronic health conditions and functional limitations. The reported quality of life (QoL) is low for most respondents, with moderate-low satisfaction with life. The analysis depicts a profile of seniors needing residential care in Europe, and provides useful insights for policymakers, to better sustain this frail population group, and to allow and improve access to high-quality long-term care (LTC) in Europe. Our findings could also be of help to train health professionals, and potentially drive the research towards the exploration of new housing solutions for seniors. This would in turn contribute to the effective implementation of European initiatives to strengthen LTC systems.